


Pretty and Pink

by tremmy_chii



Series: What Makes a Heart Beat [3]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Fluff, Half-Vampire Yeosang, M/M, Magic, Pining, Vampire Choi San, Werewolf Wooyoung, italics is the prompt and the number is character age, writober thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27004810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tremmy_chii/pseuds/tremmy_chii
Summary: After years of being Wooyoung's partner in crime, this might actually be the first time San isnotwilling to vouch for his ass and get him out of trouble. Because for one, the person he's in trouble with is San himself, and two:"How wasIsupposed to know that Yeosang would look at me first?!" Wooyoung croaks beneath San's chokehold.Wooyoung has somehow procured himself a fancy little love potion. The afflicted target falls in love with the first person they see, and the effects will last for a week unless the one they actually love (if any exists) breaks the fever. And Wooyoung, fuckingbutterfingers, spectacularly drops it on Yeosang by accident.Alright, fine. Let's say it's not Wooyoung's fault. Well then please explain to San how he's supposed to deal with watching Yeosang look at Wooyoung like he hung the stars in the sky when all he's ever wanted is for Yeosang to look athimlike that?(love potion, 20)
Relationships: Choi San/Kang Yeosang
Series: What Makes a Heart Beat [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954753
Comments: 50
Kudos: 214





	Pretty and Pink

**Author's Note:**

> Using the "Halloween with ATEEZ" prompts by @zalyshka on twitter!
> 
> I'm @faeyeojoong if you wanna talk to me about ateez! :) I literally just scream by myself on that acc skfhdhdjdk

"Not to alarm anyone, but has anyone seen Wooyoung?" Yeosang pops his head into the common room. Yunho, Mingi, and San pause their game and turn around on the sofa to look at him. 

"No," Yunho answers for all of them. They've been playing Smash for the past hour with no one else coming in or out of the area. "Is it urgent? Have you called him?"

Yeosang purses his lips, displeased. He raises the phone in his hand for everyone to see. "I would, but he left his phone behind like an idiot. Wooyoung was supposed to go out with me for chicken after my midterms." His shoulders drop slightly, barely noticeable to the human eye, but San knows what disappointment looks like on Yeosang.

He tries not to feel too bad about being left out. It was probably one of those exclusive Wooyoung-Yeosang things. Despite being with them for four years now, even San can't come between them when they simply decide to drown out the rest of the world. It's admirable, the strength of their friendship. But dramatics aside, the only reason he's not invited is probably just out of consideration for San. After all, ever since enrolling in university, San has been forced to stomach ash-like human food at least once a day in front of others to keep up the act. To anyone else, he's just a regular guy. None of that bloodsucking business.

"I'll go with you," San offers anyway, already putting his controller down. "You wanted to try that new limited edition flavor at the store near the 226 bus stop, right?"

Yeosang looks at him in wonder, like he wasn't expecting San to know all that. "Yes…" he snaps out of it and shakes his head. "Yes, but it's fine, I'm sure you already had dinner." It's already quite late, and Yeosang wouldn't be so insensitive as to force him out to a restaurant just because he thinks Yeosang wants to go out tonight no matter what. 

"Nah, I've been with San all day and I haven't seen him take a single _bite_ ," Mingi frowns.

San and Yeosang twitch at his word choice. "Oh… uh… do you all wanna come with?" Yeosang asks.

"We're good. You two go ahead," Yunho says and dismisses them with a wave. 

"Aight, see you tomorrow," San smiles and pats the two giants on the back. 

Yeosang is already leaning on the doorframe, holding the door open for San as they exit into the dormitory hallways. San sends him a small appreciative smile, which Yeosang returns for a different reason. "We don't actually have to go. I have some 'juice' in the mini fridge we can share instead."

"But you were looking forward to it, right? I bet you doodled drumsticks all over the scratch paper during your exam," San says with a knowing smirk. After Yeosang narrows his eyes at him for a second and then turns to face the path ahead, San finds his gaze naturally gravitating towards Yeosang's hand. He feels an itch at the sight; it's just swaying back and forth with each step, fingers dainty and relaxed. 

"I did not," Yeosang huffs. He drew Hehetmon, thank you very much. "I can reschedule." An idea makes his eyes shine. "And I'll make Wooyoung pay to make it up to me."

The hoodie sleeve slips from Yeosang's wrist, falling down to cover almost his entire hand. Yeosang's fingertips curl towards the soft fleece to form a little fist. San's itch crawls all the way up to his neck, and he has to physically remind himself to look away with a secret pinch. His eyeballs betray him, because now he's looking at the lashes from Yeosang's profile and by association, his pink birthmark. 

"Where did he go? He's not someone to just bail on you like that without a word." At least he remembers to keep talking.

"Mm…" Yeosang sucks in his bottom lip in thought. San's eyes fly to the movement, catching the way Yeosang rakes his teeth over his skin and how he releases his lip with a slight pop. His lips are a little moist now with the added saliva. "You're right. I'm a little worried. He promised to wait for me in our room."

"Yeah?" San asks distractedly. He's got a powerful sixth sense though. San looks away just as Yeosang glances at him.

"I just hope he didn't get into trouble. I really don't want to have to beg Hongjoong hyung to spare his ass for the second time this week."

San laughs at the memory of Wooyoung clinging onto Hongjoong's leg, crying for mercy while the older residential assistant threatened to report him for attempting to break into the building and setting off the alarm that woke up the entire hall. Apparently he lost his ID card, residential services don't operate past eight, and Yeosang was dead asleep despite Wooyoung screaming at him on the other side of the window. What's the point of being lucky enough to have a room on the first floor if Yeosang wasn't going to cooperate and make it an asset?!

(“Whoops,” Yeosang had said monotonously. “My bad.”

Wooyoung almost broke his back with how intensely he wanted to charge at Yeosang, but then San was holding him back and everything was a hot mess. Seonghwa came down to see the commotion, and all three sat silently through the boring lecture about keeping the common rooms clean while Hongjoong tapped his foot, waiting to get a word in.)

"Hongjoong hyung has a soft spot for you. You'd get away with it."

"No, he just wants to torture me." There's no other explanation for why Hongjoong keeps asking for Yeosang to sing the three bears nursery song every time he asks for forgiveness. He's _evil_ , that hyung. 

At first, San thinks to keep his mouth shut, but then an overwhelming urge to just say it washes over him. It's not like he hasn't been vocal about it before so, "It's because you're cute," he counters. The grin is slow to form on his face, eyes foxy as he watches for Yeosang's reaction. And oh, it's so, so rewarding.

Yeosang blinks at him in surprise. When the words sink in, his small mouth purses in an attempt to stop smiling, but his cheeks are full and round in an equal mixture of embarrassment and happiness anyway. Yeosang is never able to hold back those smiles for long, and San greedily captures every moment as a small huff of laughter escapes his lips. His teeth flash for a second, all white and pointy until his sweater-pawed hand flies up to cover his face. His eyes twinkle in the light and his handsome brows are softened by raised disbelief. His other hand smacks San's bicep, but San is so horrendously endeared that even a hit feels like a piece of affection.

"Stop that, I'm not," Yeosang denies. 

"You're making a terrible argument when you look like this right now." 

"Like what?" Yeosang falls into the trap.

"Like a cutie pie," San coos, reaching up to pinch Yeosang's soft cheek. The successful touch, honestly, has San reeling with glee. 

"You—!" Yeosang swats at him. "Stop picking up Wooyoung's mannerisms right this instant. Bad San, bad," he chastises as if he were a dog. 

They reach Wooyoung and Yeosang's room, so Yeosang pulls out his ID card from his wallet and swipes it through the reader. The inside is just as he last left it: fresh laundry waiting to be put away, textbooks open from when he rushed out the door to make it in time for his midterm, and Wooyoung's duvet hanging on the edge of his bed. They're in a decently sized room with two single beds on opposite walls and two desks pushed together in the middle against a window. Aside from that point of connection, the rest is distinctly Wooyoung's side of the room and Yeosang's side of the room.

Wooyoung's decoration is just as loud as his personality. He's got posters taped all over the wall and CDs from his favorite artists strung up on display. Bold colors are scattered everywhere, partly because they're the first to go on sale and mostly because Wooyoung actually likes those ugly house appliances. San had never seen a neon green water boiler until he walked into their room for the first time. Where did Wooyoung find something like that? Who even manufactures those? It’s a mystery for Yeosang, too. At the edge of Wooyoung’s bed is a creepy towel doll Yeosang made for him during one of those freshmen orientation group activities. He makes fun of it all the time but never throws it out.

Yeosang’s side is… well, there was an attempt. It could’ve been something great, if Yeosang didn’t give up after running out of dorm tape and let the string lights sag sadly on one end. There aren’t any posters, instead, there’s a large cork board that he fills with post-its and polaroids. San got him these little bunny push pins he found at a stationary store while roaming around with Wooyoung, and always smiles when he sees them being used for the picture of the three of them when they were eighteen. It was during the summer right after high school graduation, when they thought San would leave forever, only to see him run back and declare that he was going to _stay_ forever.

Both of them have stuff all over the floor. It’s chaos. 

San digs his hand into his pocket as Yeosang closes the door behind them, just to confirm that he has his wallet. “Are we still going?”

“Is it really okay?” Yeosang toes off his shoes at the entrance to go put Wooyoung’s phone back on his desk. “Did I interrupt you earlier?”

“No, I was tired of beating them up anyway,” San gloats. “The prowess of Kirby is unmatched.”

Yeosang smirks, sending him a doubtful look. “Hm. Sure. But we should do something we both enjoy. I’d like watching a horror movie with you in the dark just as much as going to restaurants with Wooyoung.”

The honest and soft admission knocks the air out of San. He struggles with a reply as he feels a rush up towards his face, leaving him helpless under Yeosang’s attention. “Well, uh…”

Yeosang waits patiently, a small smile curling the corners of his lips. 

San clears his throat. “Yeah that, that doesn’t sound half-bad.” Is he kidding? It sounds fucking amazing and they’re all alone so San doesn’t have to be _too_ careful about his actions or what he says or even how he looks — a horror movie in the _dark_ , Yeosang said. He already has a plan within 0.002 seconds. First, he’ll pick a movie he’s already seen. “Have you seen _Train to Busan_?”

Yeosang is more likely to spend his free time on webtoons and anime. He shakes his head, and San mentally ticks a green checkmark on his list. 

“I heard it’s really good.” 

“Okay,” Yeosang accepts easily, cueing the both of them into action. San takes off his shoes and turns off the lights while he’s already there. Yeosang hops over to the mini fridge to pull out a single blood pouch for San and reaches for his laptop once he’s on the bed. After a quick — ehem, illegal — download, the two rest against the wall with the covers on, laptop perched on top of their laps. San starts the movie and pokes a straw through the pouch to sip on. He knows what’s going to happen, so he doesn’t bother paying attention to the opening scene, merely choosing to watch the blue light dance on Yeosang’s illuminated face. 

Second, he’ll throw his arm over Yeosang at a jumpscare. 

Yeosang flinches at a zombie flying towards the screen, but otherwise doesn’t move much.

…Second, he’ll throw his arm over Yeosang at a jumpscare. 

“What a selfish scumbag,” Yeosang comments quietly, pointing at one of the characters. 

“Yeah, hate him.”

San stares pointedly at the tense scene where everyone is quiet as they attempt to move past a cabin. Oh c’mon, any day now. Get to the scary part! Now _he’s_ tense for all the wrong reasons on this bed—

Suddenly Yeosang leans over him, reaching out and guiding San’s hand that is curled around his drink towards his mouth to steal a sip. San is already deadly still as it happens right before his eyes, but he’s somehow frozen solid even further as Yeosang never returns to his original position. In fact, he slides down a few centimeters to rest his head comfortably on San’s shoulder. San clenches his teeth down hard when he feels Yeosang’s cheek squish against the skin near his collarbone, soft strands of brown hair tickling his jawline. 

For the lack of a better word, San, uh, _ascends_.

Yeosang isn’t the type to initiate physical contact. He says he doesn’t mind it among close friends, but there’s still a reserved air about him that makes San (and others not Wooyoung) feel the need to respect his boundaries. That makes every touch feel weighted, makes everyone stop and appreciate it because Yeosang is always doing it with slight hesitancy and a shy smile that looks like he doesn’t expect anyone to welcome him with big open arms. 

San thought he’d jump at an opportunity like this, because he’s always _wanting_. But here he is now, eyes unfocused and stiff like a fool. Is he even breathing? He must be since Yeosang isn’t saying anything. 

God, _Yeosang_.

San can feel his pulse when they’re pressed up together like this, the sensation even more jarring because his own body doesn’t thrum with life like that. Yeosang is warm. Yeosang is sweet. Yeosang smells so good San doesn’t even realize his eyes are glowing bright red from all the emotions going haywire inside him.

Something pounds against the window, interrupting their little comfort zone. Yeosang gasps at the same time that San surges forward, ready to protect him. (Even if he knows Yeosang doesn’t need it.)

It’s Wooyoung pressed against the window. Again. 

“Really?” Yeosang sighs and pauses the movie, casting it aside. San quietly deflates, feeling disappointed whatever was going on is over. “Can’t you use the door like a regular person?” He scolds Wooyoung as he pulls the glass up for Wooyoung to climb in. 

“I can’t! I left my clothes here,” Wooyoung explains as he hops off the table, thankfully dressed. Bushes line the perimeter of the dormitory building. He must've hid his clothes under one of them by their room.

“…What?” San looks at him like he’s crazy while Yeosang groans and shoves his face into his hands. 

“Please, _please_ don’t tell me you ran around naked.”

Wooyoung puts his hands on his hips. “But of course I did! Tell me what’s weirder, a wolf in the city or a wolf _with clothes_ in the city? Besides, the pants would just slip right off, you’ve seen me.” He dusts his hands off. “Now why the hell is it so dark in here.” 

San and Yeosang share a glance. San goes to turn on the lights while Yeosang questions Wooyoung further. 

“We were watching a movie. What about _you_? Where did you go? You promised to meet me here an hour ago.” 

“Huh? Is it that late?” Wooyoung checks the time on his phone. His mouth drops. “Oh shit. Sorry Sangie.” He looks genuinely sorry, but Yeosang had no doubt that Wooyoung wouldn't have kept him waiting on purpose anyway so all is forgiven. “I didn’t think the journey would take so long. I swear I ran my fastest!” 

“But where did you go?”

Wooyoung’s face morphs into an evil smile, and the two vampires instantly think, _Oh no._ He reaches into his crossbody bag and pulls out a very, very dubious vial of pink liquid. “I found a witch shop!” He cackles with delight.

_Oh no_ , they think again, with even more distress. 

“A _what_?” San echoes in disbelief. 

“You heard me.” Wooyoung sticks his nose up, a triumphant smirk on his face as he brandishes the vial in front of them. “I sniffed out a witch on my way back from the library and quickly transformed here to follow her back to her shop!” 

“Wooyoung, that’s a crime,” Yeosang deadpans. 

“Be gay, do crimes!"

"Respect women," San frowns.

"What," Wooyoung sours, "you think I'm a degenerate or something? Of course I asked if I could follow her first! She left tracks for me to find, it was very fun!"

"I thought it was near impossible to find a witch who's willing to open for business." San's parents, who are over two hundred by now, have only been able to purchase from a witch a handful of times, and each was out of sheer luck. Witches can hide themselves even better than vampires if they want to — so either Wooyoung was extremely lucky or was in extreme danger.

"Yeah, well, it turns out she wanted me for my fur."

Yeosang's eyes widen, and he rushes over to inspect Wooyoung, twirling him around.

"I'm okay!" Wooyoung says quickly, but basks in Yeosang's attention anyway. "I let her shave off a patch on my back. It was quite embarrassing, you know, running home with a bald spot."

" _That's_ what worries you?" Yeosang flicks his forehead. 

"Ow!"

"Have some self-preservation, will you? You could've been _skinned_."

"Haha." Wooyoung can't deny that. "At least I didn't do it for nothing. She let me pick a potion off her shelf in exchange!"

"And what did you get?" San asks suspiciously.

Wooyoung throws his arms around their necks, forcing them closer. He grins mischievously at his best friends, pausing for dramatic effect before answering. "A love potion."

No one says anything for a second. Then, San's stomach lurches.

Yeosang is the first to respond. "Why would you get something like that?" He exclaims. 

Wooyoung's eyes glint. "I'm gonna use it on Hongjoong hyung." 

" _What?_ "

"Listen, listen, hear me out. Hongjoong hyung. Seonghwa hyung. _Boom_." Wooyoung mimes his head exploding. "Galaxy brain."

"That's not right," San interjects quickly. "You shouldn't mess with anyone's feelings, least of all _love_."

"I'm not messing with anyone's feelings if they're already there!" Wooyoung argues. "Be honest, aren't you two tired of the unresolved sexual tension in this building too? Seonghwa hyung keeps looking at him with these nasty puppy eyes whenever he thinks nobody's looking and _Hongjoong hyung_ ," he pinches his nose bridge, "he’s the densest, most oblivious, smart person I know.”

San feels sick. He breaks out of Wooyoung’s clutches and looks at him seriously. “It’s still not right. Just leave them to figure things out on their own, it’ll happen eventually—”

“—No one’s figuring _anything_ out because Seonghwa thinks Hongjoong doesn’t even _like_ him meanwhile that shorty—”

“—You’re kind of the same height,” Yeosang reminds him jokingly with the intention of preventing the conversation from escalating, but Wooyoung doesn’t stop there. He completely ignores Yeosang’s comment to defend his plan. 

“—is too complacent with his _tsundere_ behavior that he doesn’t realize he actually has to vocalize his feelings to get them across. That’s why I’m just going to give them a little push in the right direction—”

“—That’s not for you to decide!” San feels his anger rising. Maybe he’s taking things too personal but… no. Whether it’s personal or not, he’s in the right. You don’t go manipulate people like that. 

Wooyoung furrows his eyebrows. “Why are you so against this? I’m just trying to help.” 

“It’s the wrong way to help. If you want to, we can devise some other plan to get them to talk to each other, but not like this.”

“What, so all my effort to get this potion was for nothing?” Wooyoung bristles. “I gave up my fur! You know how sensitive we are about that!” He waves his arm in agitation. Yeosang eyes the vial in his hand, which Yeosang highly suspects Wooyoung has forgotten he is holding. 

“I’m sorry about your fur, but I can’t let you use that.”

At this point, it’s less about Seonghwa and Hongjoong, and more about the sheer pettiness of winning an argument. “It’s _my_ love potion. I’ll do what I want with it,” Wooyoung half-concedes, but San doesn’t recognize it as such when he steps closer.

“Uhm, guys?” Yeosang frets. “Wooyoung? Can you put that down for a moment?”

“Wooyoung, I’m serious about this,” San says slowly.

“I am too.” Wooyoung narrows his eyes. 

San suddenly snaps towards the potion with inhuman speed, but not only is Wooyoung the fastest out of the three of them, he’s also the one with the best reflexes. The attack takes Wooyoung by surprise — he bends backwards, pushing his arms out of the way and —

And something slips out of his fingers.

The color drains from his face as he remembers, like, _remembers_ he was holding the pink vial in his right hand. Wooyoung and San watch in horror as the glass flies backwards and shatters on impact by Yeosang’s feet. Wooyoung wants to scream at Yeosang not to touch the liquid, but a damn lump decides to form in his throat right then and there. Without a warning, Yeosang obliviously bends down to clean up the mess, fingers dipping into the puddle. 

Upon contact, the pink liquid instantly penetrates his skin, rushing into Yeosang until all that’s left on the wooden floor are the glass shards of the empty vial. Yeosang falls back on his bottom in shock, clueless as to what just happened.

Wooyoung’s heart drops. 

San panics. The potion was used, right? It was _used_? On _Yeosang_?? 

“Aw, _fuck_ ,” is what elegantly drops from Wooyoung’s mouth.

Yeosang looks up at him.

And at that moment Wooyoung knew. He fucked up.

Yeosang’s eyes dilate, and bright pink glows from his normally brown irises. It’s a different shade from his vampiric heritage, which Wooyoung and San are familiar with. This one is an artificial bubblegum pink instead of the gentle hue of cherry blossoms. It's frighteningly different. 

“Wooyoung…” Yeosang’s deep voice utters. He blushes. He covers the bottom half of his face in embarrassment as he confesses, “I love you.” 

Wooyoung makes a pained, strangled noise. 

San, who doesn’t even feel his heartbeat most of time, feels his heart cracking and crumbling inside him. His hands shake as he stares at Yeosang. 

Yeosang is so pretty like this. San has always thought Yeosang was pretty inside and out though. He's such a good person, and has such a gentle soul it borders along naivety. He has a big and soft heart that he hides behind his back, secretly caring for others and helping them out without ever bringing attention to himself. He smiles most content when he's surrounded by the laughter of his friends and family, as if just being next to them is enough to fill his body with warmth. Yeosang tends to stay in the background because everyone else is so comparatively loud, each one radiating energy like the sun or the stars — but San is always looking back at him. Because Yeosang is as serene and beautiful as the moon. 

Yeosang is… Yeosang is lovely in every single way San can imagine. It's hard not to want something so incredible. 

Perhaps because San didn't know what a Yeosang in love would look like, it was easier to deal with the occasional vibrations in his chest, the itches of desire, and the lingering warmth behind every touch. It was simpler to sit back and lock away his feelings in a treasure box, because their friendship is easily one of the most precious things in his entire life. But now everything has been flipped upside down and torn apart. San knows what a Yeosang in love looks like. There's a snapshot of it right in front of him — a Yeosang in love is a Yeosang who glows, whose cheeks are a baby pink that stretches across to the tip of his ears. He looks like he should be held and kissed, like he should be given the world on a single whim. 

San has never wanted something so bad it hurt. The itch is now a full body _burn_. His red eyes are locked onto Yeosang, but Yeosang is looking at Wooyoung. 

San grabs Wooyoung by his shirt collar. "I need to talk to you for a sec." Without waiting for an answer — or maybe Wooyoung _can't_ answer — he drags him out of the room, slams the door, and speedwalks down the hallway into the empty communal kitchen. 

" _Ack_ —!" Wooyoung chokes until he's all but thrown against the counter next to the fancy new induction stove. Wooyoung might be the fastest but on _god_ , San is the strongest one of them all. Man was tossed like a chew toy. Wooyoung sees San hovering over him in full-fledged vampire mode without a care for anyone who could walk in on them, and shrinks into himself. Oh boy. This can't be good.

"Explain," San snarls.

Wooyoung gulps. "Geez, chill man, it's fine we can work—!"

" _Explain_."

"…The potion, er, makes you fall in love with the first person you look at."

"I can _see_ that. Now explain how to fix it."

"I can't." Wooyoung twiddles his thumbs. 

San clenches his jaw and turns his head to the side. He takes a deep breath, using that moment to retract his fangs and clear the red in his eyes. "Alright, then where's the witch?"

Wooyoung? Being afraid of San right now? Pft! No way! San is like, a super nice guy, one of his bestest buddies, his homie for life, his partner in crime, a certified member of the Yeosang Appreciation Club. San was named by his father to be a symbol of comfort and strength to his loved ones while simultaneously being an insurmountable mountain to his enemies. 

…Low-key, his presence is not very comforting right now.

"I don't know," Wooyoung admits. "I'm pretty sure I only found the shop because she wanted me to find it; the way home was very different."

"So Yeosang is just going to be stuck like that?!" San nearly yells.

"No! Good news! It's only going to last a week!" Wooyoung smiles.

"A _week_." San roughly runs his fingers through his jet black hair. " _A week_. In love with _you_ ," he says mostly to himself, anxiety and frustration rising at an alarming rate.

The smile is wiped off Wooyoung's face. "Hey, what's so bad about falling in love with me?" He pouts angrily, puffing his chest out. "As his best friend of fifteen years, I think I make a _great_ choice—!" He gets cut off mid-sentence by San violently shaking him back and forth.

" _Yeosang is in love with you_ ," San hisses through gritted teeth. 

"For a week!" Wooyoung doesn't understand why San is so mad. It was an accident — they all saw it happen. "At least it was just me, alright? It could've been way worse, like… like someone random, I don't know — Yeonjun or something!"

San is about to lose his mind. His hands move back to Wooyoung's neck, putting pressure at the junction, but nowhere near enough to hurt him. He jerks the little rascal. "I can't _believe_ you." Everything San's ever wanted, and Wooyoung stole it with just a single look. 

"How was _I_ supposed to know that Yeosang would look at me first?!" Wooyoung croaks beneath San's chokehold. 

"It's because you said something, of course he's going to look at you!"

"What, should I have just stayed quiet?!" Wooyoung looks at San wildly.

"Yes!" San grunts, but lets go of Wooyoung.

"And what's that going to do? The only other person in the room is you."

" _Exactly_ ," San snaps. Then, as he suddenly deflates and leans over the kitchen island with his face in his hands, his weak muffled voice lets out the last few deafening words. "It should've been me…"

To say the epiphany felt like a bucket of ice water thrown over Wooyoung's head would be an understatement. No, this momentous, catastrophic, life-flashing-before-his-eyes realization felt more like Hongjoong slapping Wooyoung silly on top of a plank board before chucking him off the ship and straight into a violent whirlpool. Wooyoung has no idea what he looks like right now (well, bulging eyes, jaw unhinged, stance frozen over like some troll under a bridge), but _Jesus fucking Christ_. San? Homie of the universe? Is in love with? Yeosang? Platonic soulmate?

Please give him a second, his brain cells are working overtime to connect the dots. 

When did that even happen — scratch that, Wooyoung thinks he can pinpoint every single slow burn moment that led up to this now that all of the missing pieces of the puzzle have clicked in place. Except Wooyoung didn't even know there was a puzzle!! Anyway. 

Fantastic. So Wooyoung didn't just fuck up, he _royally_ fucked up. 

He throws himself behind San for a back hug and buries his ashamed face into San's neck. "Sorry! I'm sorry. I didn't know you had feelings for Yeosang like that. I would've done things differently — I would've done _a lot_ of things differently if I knew." 

San rubs his eyes and turns around, letting Wooyoung embrace him fully. "It's okay, it's not your fault, I'm just…" He can't explain his behavior either. "Whatever. I hid it well." It must be, if no one called him out until he basically admitted it himself. 

"No you didn't," Wooyoung realizes as he rubs San's back up and down, supporting the vampire's weight when he relaxes and sags against him. "You always watched him with this really fond smile on your face — _wow, I'm dumb_ ," Wooyoung reaches his second epiphany. 

San laughs, at the very least. 

Wooyoung's face twists. "Well if Yeosang doesn't know either then he's dumb too! You're a whole catch and a half." He puts some distance between them just so he can squish San's cheeks in his special form of aggressive affection. "You know what? I'm glad it's you. You're probably the only heathen I'll ever approve for Yeosangie anyway." He pauses and looks at San dead in the eyes. "But you're kicked out of the Yeosang Appreciation Club, we can't have members with impure intent."

San furrows his eyebrows, actually kind of hurt. "What do you mean I'm kicked out? I don't have impure intent." 

Wooyoung snorts. "So you'll both stay virgins after you get together?"

Normally San wouldn’t blush. He _can’t_ blush unless it was immediately after feeding. But apparently half a bag an hour ago is enough to get heat to rush up his face, or maybe it’s just the _thought_ , the _insinuation_ of San being the one to undress Yeosang and lay his hands on his sensitive, lean body—

“Holy shit, stop, stop, stop.” Wooyoung snaps his fingers centimeters in front of San’s face. “Trash! How dare you think of my best friend like that?” 

“You brought it up first!” San splutters. 

“So?” Wooyoung clicks his tongue in disapproval. “That’s not an invitation to defile him."

San swallows thickly, keeping his eyes averted from Wooyoung's judgmental stare as he mutters, "Purity is a social construct meant to shame people who are—"

"Hey, are you guys using the kitchen?" Someone pops in with their ingredients and a pan. San and Wooyoung shake their heads and leave the scene, slowly walking back towards the dorm room where they left Yeosang. 

"I just remembered," Wooyoung gasps and grabs San's elbow excitedly. "We don't have to wait a week. You just need to kiss him."

San trips over his own foot and Wooyoung pulls him right back up. "Kiss?" He whispers in disbelief, as if it was something forbidden to even consider.

"Yeah. The love potion lasts for a week, but if someone they already love kisses them, it'll go away before the fever runs its course." Wooyoung purses his lips. "See, that's why I wanted to use it on Hongjoong hyung. He wouldn't even know what hit him. The moment he opens his mouth and says the damn three words I'm a hundred percent sure Seonghwa hyung would jump right into his arms."

San's stomach twists. "Well then that's not going to work. Yeosang doesn't love me like that," he sighs dejectedly.

Wooyoung punches his arm. "Where's your confidence?? What happened to the guy who went viral just because a YouTuber interviewed him for a social experiment?"

"Even if looks were enough to win over Yeosang, what makes you think he'd choose me? Look at our friends."

"Okay, that's true. I'm pretty fucking sexy," Wooyoung says without blinking. San can't resist side-eyeing him, but at this point he's given up on commenting on Wooyoung's shamelessness. "Maybe you're number three or uhhh maybe number two on the good looking men rankings but there are tons of other things to love about you." He grows more confident with each passing second. "Yeah…yeah! Yeosang loves you back. I _know_ it."

"Wooyoung, thanks, but you didn't even know I had feelings for him until five minutes ago. What would you know?"

"Well my third eye has been opened." Wooyoung spreads his fingers in a V shape on his forehead. "I've connected the dots, and the final picture is you and Sangie riding off into the sunset together. Kiss him."

"I can't."

"Kiss him."

"No."

"Kiss him."

"I'm not gonna ruin our friendship."

"Coward, nothing can break us apart. Kiss him."

Right when Wooyoung is about to knock on the door, having been dragged out without his ID earlier, Yeosang throws it open and wraps his arms around Wooyoung's neck. Wooyoung happily and stupidly returns the hug by instinct because _woohoo_ , a hug initiated by Yeosang! It's like all logic went out the window. But then Yeosang pulls back just enough to peck his cheek, right on his mole, and smiles at him. 

"Welcome back," he greets. The pink in his eyes is a startling reminder of their predicament.

Wooyoung shrieks when he sees San cracking his knuckles at him with a fake smile.

-

The first thing they try to do is break the meta — San and Wooyoung sit Yeosang down and explain to him that what he feels isn’t real. He’s not really in love with Wooyoung, he just _thinks_ he is because of the love potion that seeped into his skin. If they wait exactly one week from now, all of his feelings will disappear like magic. 

That doesn’t go well. 

“…I didn’t think you could be so cruel,” Yeosang says tearfully. “Wooyoung, if you don’t feel the same way, you can just reject me directly. I’d understand. But don’t dismiss my feelings, don’t pretend they aren’t real, and worst of all, don’t drag San into your games when all I wanted was an honest reply. And you didn’t even have the decency to do that for me after all the years of friendship we’ve had together. I trusted you.”

And holy _shit_ , that hurt so bad. Even though the pink clearly fogged over his eyes, the cracks and the pain in his voice feel so genuine Wooyoung almost ends up in tears as well, apologizing over and over while squeezing Yeosang’s hands on the bed. 

“Sorry! I’m so, so sorry, oh Sangie don’t cry. It was a bad joke, an awful one. I’ll never do that again, okay?” 

So, well, that’s that. For some reason Yeosang doesn’t remember that he was essentially poisoned, so San and Wooyoung decide not to bring that up ever again. Instead, Wooyoung has to improvise on the fly that he’s just unsure about how a relationship would affect their dynamic and that he needs more time to think things through before giving Yeosang an answer. San keeps quiet throughout the exchange, wondering if this is what could happen to him if their roles were reversed. It’s not hard to imagine: San confesses, Yeosang doesn’t love him back, and Wooyoung sits on the outskirts worriedly fretting over the both of them. 

The first night ends soberly like that, complete with a heartfelt promise to always remain friends no matter what. No matter the hardship, they can get through it together. Wooyoung gathers them into a group hug, in which he sends San a meaningful look over Yeosang’s head. 

_See?_ He mouths. 

San feels a little bit better until Wooyoung starts making kissy faces at him, trying to communicate with his wide eyes that he should go ahead and smooch the love of his life. 

San goes back to his and Yunho's room on the second floor without getting a wink of sleep. 

Saturday passes by uneventfully because Wooyoung has track and field practice so he's gone all day. (And he’s about to avoid Yeosang as much as possible all week, minus one scheduled event.) San keeps Yeosang company for as long as he can, and the most startling thing is the fact that everything is so _normal_. Yeosang doesn't act any differently; he still games all day, cracks unexpected deadpan jokes, and lazes around like a cat whenever exams are done.

It's San who's making it a little weird, a little tense. Because he feels empty. Whenever Yeosang tugs on his sleeves or pokes his cheek, something inside him wilts. Maybe he harbored a lot more hope than he originally thought. Maybe his subconscious really did believe Yeosang might like him too. Now, when Yeosang smiles at him or touches him, San knows that it's just casual affection. He's under the spell of the love potion, he's given his heart away, so none of this means anything. San can't help but analyze each moment and compare them to the night before it happened.

Yeah, he's probably moping a little. 

But then Yeosang calls his name and looks at him with his sweet brown eyes, and San is helpless to the gravitational pull of his soft entity. 

"Are you okay? You're quiet today," Yeosang asks. Of course he would notice. He's attentive and caring like that.

San stares, and briefly thinks. 

Maybe he should try harder to be content with this. Yeosang _does_ love him — he's never done anything to prove otherwise. It might not be the same kind of love San is yearning for, but it's beautiful in its own right. San should make peace with that.

"I'm okay," San responds with a smile.

-

Unfortunately only three days later, San learns that he, in fact, _cannot_ make peace with watching Yeosang belong to someone else. He’s never had the foundation of his rationality shake so violently before, turning over every single decision he’s made in the past seventy-two hours like it meant nothing. All this emotional havoc, because somehow Yeosang’s cuteness has been amplified by a hundred, a thousand, a _million_ watts by vying for Wooyoung’s attention. San would never in a million years consider himself a jealous person. And yet… 

It starts innocently enough with a group hangout for Jongho's birthday. Hongjoong and Seonghwa can't make it to the early dinner because they're always insanely busy doing three hundred assignments while juggling a job and leading a club — overachievers, those two. But they promise to join later for bowling. San and Yunho arrive at the waiting spot first. Being roommates, Yunho asked what time they should get ready to catch the bus together. So San lost nap time having to sit inside a slow, janky metal contraption instead of using his innate speed to walk to the destination by himself, but Yunho made the ride fun by singing along to the staticky radio broadcasted from the back of the bus. Mingi arrives fresh out of the gym shower not long after they do, energetic and excited for food after an hour long pilates class. Jongho is the only one with a _car_. The youngest, a freaking freshman, lives off campus, and has a car. It’s really not fair how he’s way cooler and more mature than the rest of them. 

Yeosang skates towards them from across the street, stopping to wait for the traffic lights to turn red. San automatically slips away from the group to wait for him. 

He has on the typical Yeosang Fit. It’s composed of one of his many Thrasher hoodies (the red one this time), sleeves rolled up to his elbows to reveal surprisingly masculine and veiny forearms, and wrists decorated with assorted bracelets. His mother likes to give him protective charms every time he comes home from university, so he’s collected quite a few over time. Ripped black jeans and scuffed shoes go along with his equally old board, but despite its appearance, Yeosang actually invests quite a lot of money into the ball bearings to satisfy his need for speed and smooth curves. A pink beanie pulled all the way down to cover the tip of his ears and dangly silver earrings complete the look. 

Yeosang slowly rolls across the cement, slightly distanced from the other pedestrians to avoid hitting them. San holds out his hand, and Yeosang takes it without question as he’s carefully guided over the bump of the sidewalk. The wind blows against them, and San watches as strands of his bangs lift away from his eyes to reveal more of his handsome face. Yeosang’s hair has been growing longer than usual. 

San is comparably less colorful in all black with his v-neck sweater tucked into high-waisted loose pants.

“Am I late?” Yeosang counts all the heads gathered around a tree. He stands still on his skateboard, chilling, because San is pulling him along with their linked hands. 

“Just in time.” 

“Yay.”

Yeosang steps off and kicks his board up into his free hand when they reach the group. He makes no indication of wanting to let go, so San pretends it isn't a big deal either. 

“Happy birthday, Jongho,” Yeosang greets with a one-armed hug. Everyone else choruses the same thing even though this is already the nth time in the past few minutes. It won’t be the last either. 

“Enough,” Jongho complains, but his smile is big and happy on his face. Yunho and Mingi start dancing around him singing _Happy Birthday_ loudly. They form a circle with Jongho in the center, bouncing up and down in their out-of-tune voices. The happy smile swiftly turns into embarrassment as people look at the commotion. “Okay seriously, enough!”

San is about to join in on the fun, but a blur whizzes past him and Yeosang to tackle the shouting trio.

" _Our youngest!_ " Wooyoung squeals. "Happy, happy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" After squeezing them to his heart's content, he pulls away and shoves a gift bag in front of Jongho's face.

"Hey! I thought we agreed not to get gifts yet!" Mingi points an accusatory finger. Because Jongho's birthday ended up in the middle of a weekday this year, they all came to the consensus that his gifts, if they choose to get him one, can come later. It's right after midterms too, so not everyone will have the chance to go (last minute) shopping. Instead, Jongho's supposed to get a free meal and a ticket to a bowling alley today.

Wooyoung sticks his tongue out. "Sucks to be you then. I'm claiming my spot as Best Hyung." He grins and winks at Jongho. "Open it!"

Jongho pulls out a professional microphone, which has the others gasping and Jongho freaking out. "I can't take this!"

"It's fine, it's not as expensive as you think. And actually, Yeosang chipped in too. Right, Yeosangie?" Wooyoung beckons him over.

San sees everything in slow motion at this point. Wooyoung stretches his open hand, looking straight at Yeosang after what might be four days of minimal contact, which consists of Wooyoung leaving early in the morning and sneaking in late at night for bed. Yeosang's eyes are initially brown, but they flash a bubblegum pink (a color that now makes San feel sick) when their eyes meet. What used to be a friendly smile turns into a lovesick swoon at the sound of his pet name. Yeosang giggles like he's ensnared by the bright grin directed towards him. He moves to hold Wooyoung's hand, a choice that loosens his grip on _San's_ in the process. 

San doesn't think. When he feels Yeosang's fingers slipping away from his own, he holds on tighter and yanks him backwards. The force is enough to have Yeosang stumbling into his arms in front of all their friends, chests flush against each other. San's eyes widen just as much as Yeosang's. 

A beat of silence might be okay, because it's short enough to laugh off as a joke. But San and Yeosang stare at each other for _three_ whole beats, causing the tension to rise exponentially. San bites on the inside of his cheeks, starstruck.

"…Uh…guys?"

San snaps his head over to the other four. He kind of registers seeing Wooyoung's all-knowing grin, but is too flustered by the realization that he's got a hand pressed against the small of Yeosang's back. 

(Yeosang's heartbeat is suddenly loud and clear to his own ears, but he also feels a weird tug in the back of his head, like he's forgetting something important.)

"A bug," San blurts. Oh man, that's a shitty excuse. "Saw a gigantic bug fly by. Haha, it's gone now." He mechanically removes himself from Yeosang's personal space. Before they question him and he starts sweating bullets, he diverts their attention. "Well, now that everyone's here, let's go eat! Steak awaits!" It's honestly admirable how San can make the least exciting part for him sound like something he's been looking forward to all day. 

Everyone cheers and practically skips to the restaurant. Wooyoung purposefully lags behind to elbow San's midriff and looks at him with an unsettling glint in his eye. 

San cuts him off right as he opens his mouth. "Don't say it."

"H—"

"No."

"Yeo—"

"The world is a better place when you don't think."

Wooyoung slaps his shoulder for that. " _Asshole_. Stop learning from Yeosang; being mean to me is a crime."

He steals a glance at Yeosang up ahead, who is preoccupied with discussing with Jongho what he can do with his new mic. He could sing and record, for one, but he could also set up gaming streams.

"Who'd watch?" They overhear Jongho reply, scratching his head in embarrassment. 

"I would!" Yunho nods enthusiastically.

Yeosang suddenly looks over his shoulder and sees Wooyoung staring back — and quickly adjusts his beanie to cover more of his red ears, turning his head around as if he wasn't obviously caught trying to steal a glance too. 

Wooyoung doesn't see him romantically and probably never will. They've been together since before they could even read, and Yeosang is pretty much his brother in everything but blood. They've had sleepovers and _baths_ together in childhood (courtesy of Wooyoung's mom), went through all the teenage angst and ugly bowlcuts, and basically watched each other grow up into respectable young men. Wooyoung loves Yeosang with all his heart, that much is undeniable, but not in the way that makes goosebumps rise on his skin when they touch, gut twisting with the need to howl and tell everybody who he claims as mate. That being said, Wooyoung isn't blind (…cough). He knows _exactly_ how loveable Yeosang is, how his charm is something you wouldn't get tired of year after year _after year_. Despite his icy impression, Yeosang is cute in the most unexpected ways. 

Wooyoung studies the companion by his side — who looks positively mushy and disgusting pining in the distance by the way — and thinks long and hard. (Exactly what San told him not to do.) San is… well, when given enough pressure, San is a risk taker. An all-or-nothing kind of crazy bastard. It’s true that he’s kind and mellow in normal circumstances, but when it comes down to life-changing decisions, it’s like he doesn’t think. He just dives head-first into the plunge and somehow always lands firm on his feet, as if it was the right and only choice from the very beginning. Wooyoung has an idea of what he needs to do here, but it depends on if he wants to gamble on the chance of Yeosang and San shaving him bald in retaliation after this is all over. Technically, this love potion fuck-up of his _would_ resolve itself in three days. Wooyoung has done a decent job of avoiding Yeosang without raising everyone’s suspicion so far, and he can definitely keep it that way until time’s up. 

But is that really for the best?

If they quietly wait it out and let Yeosang come back to normal, what will that mean for San? The pressure will be lifted, and _who knows_ for how long he’ll just revert to locking his feelings away in a treasure box? 

Wooyoung is decidedly too impatient for that slow burn love story. Please pray for his beautiful luscious locks. 

“Sangie,” he calls when their party gets to their table. “Come sit with me.” Wooyoung snakes his arm around Yeosang’s waist from behind and manhandles him into one side of the cushioned seats. Wooyoung takes the innermost seat by the wall, pulling Yeosang close against him under the aesthetically hanging light bulbs. The interior is uniquely designed like a cozy wooden cabin, making it extremely popular as a date spot for pretty social media posts. On top of that, apparently their hot stone plates are to die for. Jongho and Mingi had been ecstatic to land a reservation. 

Yeosang looks up at him through his lashes, mouth slightly ajar at the assertiveness. Wooyoung shamelessly cuddles him, showing no indication of awkwardness as he continues to speak to the others who are filling in on the other side of the table. It’s not like the sight is out of the ordinary. Everyone knows about Wooyoung and Yeosang being childhood friends, and Wooyoung has always been a physically affectionate person. Well, usually Wooyoung is the one hanging on Yeosang’s arm like a koala, whining about this and that, but right now Yeosang is curled up all small and comfy against Wooyoung. Yunho, Jongho, and Mingi don’t notice a difference even as San stiffly settles down at the table.

San ends up sitting on the other side of Yeosang, and he stares pointedly at Wooyoung. 

_What the hell are you doing_? He tries to communicate with his eyes. Only, Wooyoung is looking everywhere but San. The waitress hands them all a menu and promises to return with water. San barely spares it a glance. 

“Everything sounds so good. How will I choose?” Mingi laments.

“Close your eyes and point at something,” Yunho suggests even though he’s in the same indecisive boat.

“ _Or_ , we get everything and share.” Everyone _ooh_ s and _ahh_ s like Jongho just came up with an ingenious idea.

A small argument breaks out over which pasta dish out of two choices they should share while San is just trying to order his rib eye as close to raw as possible without making it look weird. The waitress scribbles away on her notepad as a rock-paper-scissors tournament starts.

"San! Quickly!"

"Oh, and could you go heavy-handed on the garlic?" San asks away from the group. None of this really matters to him, but if it's on a hot plate, Yeosang would probably like the extra roasted garlic to go with the free butter and bread. 

The six of them reveal their hands at the count of three. Yeosang loses quickly in the first round, so he's out of the running to make the final decision. 

"Carbonara?" Yeosang pouts, tugging at the sleeves of anyone who might want the same thing. 

San might melt like cotton candy, but his resolve only grows stronger. He'll win this carbonara for Yeosang and — aaaaand he loses. San joins Yeosang in the pouting losers crew. 

In the next second, Wooyoung wins with 'rock' and shouts, shaking his victorious fist in the air. He twists to the waitress with a grin. "We'll have the carbonara, sorry for the trouble!" 

Yeosang makes a tiny sound of surprise, back straightening up like a meerkat as he smiles up at Wooyoung. “I thought you wanted the meat sauce one like Mingi.” 

“Yeah man, I thought we had a connection.” Mingi scrunches his nose up in betrayal. 

At this point, everyone notices something is different. Because Wooyoung leans his elbow on the table, face propped up on his hand as he smirks flirtatiously at Yeosang. “Something special might’ve convinced me,” he says as he purposefully sweeps his eyes slowly down the length of Yeosang’s body. His eyes snap back up to stare into wide, spellbound ones right as he puts his hand on Yeosang’s knee under the table. The low lighting helps hide the flashing colors from brown to pink. 

San jerks his head and glares at the incriminating hand. Wooyoung and Yeosang are close, yes. But not like _that_. What the _hell_ is Wooyoung doing?

Yeosang struggles to form words, so he just smacks Wooyoung until he laughs and stops leaning on the table like that. " _Wooyoung_." 

"Hm? What is it, Yeosangie?" Wooyoung teases, face drawing closer and closer until Yeosang can't take it anymore and pushes him away with angry, puffed cheeks. He unrolls his hoodie sleeves to hide behind, but the hint of color rising up his neck is unmistakable. "Cute."

San abruptly grabs a slice of bread and shoves it in his mouth. They've never seen San eat anything outside of his designated entreé, even when everyone else is moaning about how good something is and how he needs to experience at least a bite. (San is trying to distract himself from the bitterness in his mouth by throwing literal chunks of ash down his throat.)

Between the sudden shift in dynamic and the clear discomfort radiating from San, the three on the other side of the table have no idea how to react. 

"…Am I missing something?" Jongho whispers to Yunho as subtly as he can. Yunho shakes his head, so they both turn towards Mingi. Mingi crosses his hands in an 'x' out of the others' sight, indicating he's just as clueless. 

The tension is relieved when the food arrives, which is so good that the table actually falls silent aside from lip smacking noises and sliding plates. As Hongjoong once commented in amusement, the group is only quiet when something really, _really_ delicious is in front of them. Everyone except Yeosang leaves San's steak alone though. It smells and looks incredible… but also really red. Like, Jongho can't tell if it's just straight up raw with a sear on the outside kind of red. 

Since Wooyoung is busy sampling around the table, cheeks stuffed, he doesn't act out of line. San decides to put the touchiness past him after a few minutes. He might've been acting too sensitive because of what he knows. Wooyoung has his bouts of playfulness and likes getting a big reaction out of people, and Yeosang can't help the way he responds, literally being controlled by a witch’s potion. 

Yeah. Yeosang can't help it. It's not his fault his attention is all Wooyoung's. It's not his fault he keeps subconsciously leaning towards Wooyoung, leaving a bigger gap than usual between him and San. 

San doesn’t think it can get any worse, but then they all leave after a full belly, meet up with Hongjoong and Seonghwa already at the bowling alley, and split into pairs. Wooyoung stakes his claim as Yeosang’s partner the moment Hongjoong finishes his sentence. 

“Dibs!” Wooyoung shouts as he hooks his chin on Yeosang’s shoulder. “We’re going to crush the competition.”

“I’m not that good,” Yeosang reminds him. 

“Then I’ll carry,” Wooyoung boldly declares, booping Yeosang’s nose and cooing when Yeosang crinkles it. “Watch me win.”

San ends up with Jongho, and after watching those two cling to each other, turns to him and says, “Let’s destroy them.” His eyes are on fire when he yanks his bowling shoes on and picks up one of the heaviest balls without looking.

“Uh — yeah,” Jongho dumbly agrees, gaping at the sight of San moving up a lane and hurling the ball towards the pins with ease. It rolls at an insane speed, crashing dead center in a powerful strike. San looks satisfied when the perfect score shows up on screen. 

Jongho always thought he was the strongest, followed closely by Yeosang, but now he thinks he might want to reconsider the rankings. 

Despite claiming that it’s a competition, all of them are just playing casually, laughing at Mingi’s gutter balls and Yunho’s ridiculous poses. Wooyoung doesn’t actually do all that well, judging by his scoreboard, but it seems to delight Yeosang nonetheless to see him try. They’re practically in their own world, running back and forth to tell each other they did well, holding out iced tea and streams of encouragement when only one pin falls down by luck. See, Wooyoung isn’t even all that good, but he’s so _handsy_ in teaching Yeosang the correct bowling form.

San knocks strike after strike to the amazement of the rest of the group, only Yeosang isn’t even paying attention. 

Wooyoung slips a little while rolling the ball, and they both laugh as it unceremoniously hops into the gutter. Wooyoung scratches the back of his head sheepishly, and San watches as Yeosang’s tiny sweater-pawed hands clap for him anyway. 

Nearly an insufferable hour later, Wooyoung pulls off a strike, and in celebration, comes running back to Yeosang to tackle him onto the leather seats. He cups Yeosang's face in his hands and leans closer. San feels like he's being _gutted_ — they're so close they look like they're about to _kiss_ and Yeosang's lashes are fluttering in anticipation — San can't take it anymore. The volcano that's been bubbling inside him all night erupts, molten lava rushing through every vein in his volatile body. He has to leave. He has to leave before he hurts anybody.

San turns on his heels and pushes his way out the door, ignoring the surprised shouts of his name asking where he's going. San keeps his eyes down low and covers his mouth with his hand, breathing heavily. He doesn't trust himself to stay calm or be in control right now. His gums are already loosening and twitching, ready to shoot his fangs out and _seek blood_. It's already hard enough just walking out, although his pace is probably a little bit faster than even an angry human. 

He makes it down one street before he hears footsteps coming after him. San grits his teeth and slips into the shadows of an alley, fiery red eyes glowing in the dark.

"San! Wait!"

He snaps his arm out and grabs Wooyoung's neck with dead accuracy, slamming him against the wall. Wooyoung groans at the pain in his back, hands flying up to pull at the wrist crushing his throat. San steps away as Wooyoung coughs. This should be enough of a warning to stay away.

"S-San…" Wooyoung wheezes but is somehow still brave enough to latch onto his arm.

San jerks away. " _What do you want_?" He hisses, hostile. 

"I'm sorry!" Wooyoung blurts before he misses his chance. "I know this is about Yeosang—!"

"— _Then what more do you have to say to me?_ " San cuts him off, eyes narrowed. "Leave. I need to be alone."

"I was just trying to give you the push you needed to tell Yeosang how you feel," is the weak response he gets.

San sucks in sharply at the audacity. "And _why_ exactly, do you think you have the right to decide when and how I get to deal with my _own feelings_ , Wooyoung?" 

Wooyoung clamps his mouth shut, pupils wavering. 

"Not everything is about you." San digs his nails into his palms. "Just because you think you're doing the right thing doesn't mean you're not hurting people in the process too. You’re not being considerate to Yeosang either — we might not know if he’ll even remember what happened this week but imagine if he does? What are you going to say to him?” He dares. “That you took advantage of his vulnerable state?” 

Shame prickles Wooyoung’s face, rendering him speechless and numb. San scoffs cruelly at the sight of him caving in on himself, too upset to care about anyone else. He doesn’t say goodbye as he turns and disappears, running in the shadows back to the safety of his dorm room. 

Once there, San slides down against the door and hugs his knees, prepared to stay that way for the rest of the night.

-

Wooyoung comes back to the bowling alley looking like he just got run over by a truck. Yeosang cranes his head and frowns worriedly. San isn’t behind him. 

“Hey,” Hongjoong rushes up to him and gently grabs his shoulders, “What’s wrong? And where’s San?” 

Wooyoung says nothing for a while, so they usher him into a seat and hand him a water bottle. After guiltily watching everyone fuss over him when in reality _he’s_ the one who fucked everything up — and on Jongho’s birthday, no less — he looks at Yeosang and confesses. 

“I screwed up. I’m sorry.”

Yeosang furrows his eyebrows at him, confused. 

“I know I don’t make a lot of sense right now, but if you’ll remember this, know that I’m just an idiot who tried to help and I’m very, _very_ sorry.” 

“I don’t understand. What are you sorry for?” Yeosang rests his hand on Wooyoung’s, which is tightly gripping onto his own knee. 

“I made San mad.”

The rest of the group raise their eyebrows at the statement. San? Mad?

“I think I hurt him too.”

Yeosang’s stomach drops. His hand slips off of Wooyoung’s. 

_San?_ Yeosang pales, suddenly anxious. He wants to — to leave. He wants to go and look for San.

And despite his misery, Wooyoung notices something odd happening — the pink in Yeosang’s eyes are phasing in and out, and his face is frozen in some sort of internal conflict. Wooyoung wonders if Yeosang heard him at all, so he repeats his words even though it absolutely sucks to have to say it again. “Yeosang, I think I hurt San.” 

Yeosang winces, like he’s fighting a throbbing headache. He shakes his head, looking blankly at the ground for a second before the words register and his head snaps over to Wooyoung. One eye is the artificial pink he’s been seeing all week and the other is the warm brown that Wooyoung has seen all his life. Oh _man_ , Wooyoung didn’t think there would ever be a time where he’d be so relieved at the sight of them. 

“I hurt—”

“I _heard_ you, what the fuck did you do?” 

Oh man! Wooyoung didn’t think there would ever be a time where he’d be so happy to hear Yeosang cuss him out! 

“Holy shit, best friend, are you back?” Wooyoung whispers excitedly. Yeosang clutches his head and rubs his face tiredly. Upon closer inspection, the colors are still flickering. Wooyoung moves so that he blocks the others’ vision. “Hey, hey, do you love me?” He pesters, testing if the potion is still in effect. 

“Yes,” Yeosang says automatically, pauses, then groans. “ _Jung Wooyoung_.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m completely lost as to where this conversation is going,” Seonghwa interjects. 

“Shh!” Wooyoung swats in Seonghwa’s general direction, eyes trained on Yeosang. “I’m on the precipice of something important! Yeosang listen, San is _livid_ right now. I’m less concerned about my own ass getting whooped and more about just San in general. I don’t think he’ll want to see me, but I’m worried.” He chews on his lip. “Can you please make sure he’s okay?”

Yeosang seems to have learned that looking at Wooyoung is what causes the fog in his mind to get worse. Nonetheless, his voice is sincere when he agrees with a nod. “Yeah. I’ll go.” He stands up and waves goodbye to everyone. “Have fun, don’t let me and San leaving early ruin it for you,” he directs towards Jongho. 

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” Jongho quickly reassures him. “Go check up on San hyung.”

Yeosang smiles, and rushes out the venue. 

Silence falls on them after that, each person awkwardly playing with their jacket zipper or some other mundane action.

“…Are you okay, Wooyoung? Do you wanna go home too?” Yunho asks after a while.

“Oh God no, keep me outta there, they’ll both skin me alive after they’re done talking,” Wooyoung quickly refuses. “In fact, can someone please house me for the night??”

Hongjoong sends him a judgemental look. “What in the world have you done?”

-

Yeosang makes it back to the dormitory building as fast as he can. He has his skateboard, and there’s even the option of catching a cab, but in the end the fastest way is to simply rely on himself. It’s been a while since he’s really had to run like this though, so he’s breathless when he finally scans his ID at the entrance. He hopes San is in his room, because if not, Yeosang can only think of him working up a sweat at the twenty-four hour gym, or on top of the roof of the new library that they once watched the stars from. If San went on a hunt… then the chances of Yeosang finding him are close to none. At twenty years of age, Yeosang has still never hunted in his life, and San had shown reluctance at the thought of it too when it was brought up one night. Yeosang wouldn’t know what to do, wouldn’t be able to follow San’s scent among the thousands upon thousands of distractions. He just doesn’t possess the same acute bloodthirst most vampires do that enables them to pinpoint and concentrate on a single target. 

Yeosang takes off his beanie as he catches his breath by the stairs, mentally sighing at the future burn in his legs when he climbs to the top. He runs his fingers through his hair, fanning the heat and sweat away from his face. After a few more seconds, he marches upwards. 

The second floor’s common room is empty when he arrives, so he pushes forward into the hallway and makes a turn around the left corner. The reflection of his figure rushing past the stained glass shows his downturned eyebrows and bitten bottom lip. His feet come to a screeching halt at the door labeled ‘218.’ The lights are out based on the narrow gap at the bottom of the door, but he raises his fist to knock on it anyway. 

“San?” Yeosang calls out hesitantly. His chest heaves up and down. “San?” He tries again, louder. 

Nothing. 

But something tells him not to leave just yet. He presses his ear against the door, and sure enough, hears the faintest sound of movement startlingly close. San must’ve been sitting there, leaning on the other side. 

“San, you’re there,” he says confidently. “Will you let me in?” 

“…I’m not feeling well. Could you come back tomorrow?” A muffled reply comes. 

Yeosang relaxes a little — a reply, any reply, is good. “I heard you had a fight with Wooyoung. I wanted to see if you’re alright.” 

San doesn’t reply to that. In fact, the temperature seems to drop. 

“He’s sorry,” Yeosang tries. “I don’t know what he did, but he was sincere in his remorse. He was concerned about you so he asked me to come.” 

A strange noise comes from the other side, and Yeosang belatedly realizes with shock that it’s the deep sound of San growling. 

“Did you only come because he asked you to?”

That’s… that’s a strange question. “No…?” Yeosang swallows. “No, of course not. I was worried about you too. You don’t normally storm off like that.” 

There’s another pause before Yeosang hears a tired response. “I want to be alone.” 

“Don’t lock yourself up. Let me help — I’m here for you.”

“Yeosang, don’t be difficult.”

“But you’re _not okay_ ,” Yeosang says shakily. “If it’s not Wooyoung, you come to me. We always support each other like this unless — unless you’re mad at me too?” His breath hitches at the thought. “Did I hurt you too?” 

“No,” San dispels that quickly. “It’s not your—” _fault_ , San almost says. “It’s not you."

But Yeosang catches the slip anyway and makes a broken sound from his throat. "Me…?" He puts his hand on the doorknob. "What did I do? Can I fix it?"

"No, no. Yeosang please, leave. I'm not myself right now, I can't promise I'll be able to hold back."

"Then don't." Yeosang says seriously. "Tell me everything."

In all honesty, Yeosang did not expect that to work. He expected to fight tooth and nail with San from outside his door until he gave in, because San is firm and stubborn when he's set on something. Instead, the door swings open and Yeosang is swiftly dragged inside and pressed up against the wall. It's dark, but Yeosang's eyes adjust just as quickly as San's hands which move to circle around his waist. If there was any space to begin with, there isn't anymore when San takes another step towards him, flushing their solid bodies against each other. 

The window is open behind San, wind fluttering the thin curtains like waves and moonlight streaming in like a halo around him. Most of his jet black hair is pushed away from his face, but a few strands fall forward over his forehead when he cages Yeosang in. His shoulders are stiff and tense, the hard lines contrasted even further by the ethereal backlight. His eyes are red and hard, expression so terribly conflicted it must mean he was already on the verge of some breaking point by the time Yeosang asked to come in. 

He's looking at Yeosang like he's the only thing in the world that matters. San is in his most vulnerable state, laid bare for Yeosang to see.

Yeosang holds his breath, mouth parting in surprise. 

San's eyes flicker down to his lips.

"Forgive me," he whispers, so quiet, it could've been the ghost of an imagination. 

He takes the plunge to the deep end, capturing Yeosang's soft lips with his own.

San feels his heart violently thumping in his chest, waking up abruptly after years and years of hibernation. Every inch of his body is throttled with life, and it really feels like he could fall apart from the inside out with the intensity of the sparks cascading down his veins. Yeosang's warmth sinks bone-deep into him and envelopes his every senses. The press of their lips is gentle, because San wants to savor every moment of this dream for all of eternity, wants to remember the shape of their mouths slotted perfectly together and the tantalizing taste of Yeosang's sweetness. His breathing is labored for something so soft and tender, but honestly, San has never been so afraid. 

Just like how the glimpse of Yeosang in love plagued his mind and tormented him, this single kiss is enough to turn him into a monster, ugly and greedy for his love. San is bursting at the seams, and in the next second, the treasure box that he's kept cherished and carefully protected, crashes down and falls apart. Jewels in the form of a single tear wets his lashes. 

"I love you."

He kisses Yeosang again, unable to help himself. And then, again. 

Again.

Each time lingers longer than the last, bolder and more frantic. He presses a kiss to his top lip, to each corner of his mouth, to his bottom lip, and then square on the seams where — he trembles — Yeosang kisses back.

"San," Yeosang gasps against his lips. The sound of his breathless, deep voice sends a shiver down San's spine. "San…" He's calling for his attention, San knows it.

Too bad he's not ready to hear what Yeosang has to say.

One last time, San wants to be selfish. He crashes into Yeosang, shutting him up with a final searing, bruising kiss filled with all the longing and love he's kept inside him for years. Yeosang will quickly heal, but San wants this bittersweet pain to be something he remembers even when he closes his eyes to sleep at night, for many, many nights. And for all those many nights, San will be thinking about it infinitely longer. 

San reluctantly pulls away when Yeosang places a hand between them to reject him. (To breathe.) He speaks before Yeosang gets a chance to. If he waits, if he hears Yeosang push him away before he manages to say everything he's wanted to, then San thinks he will never find the heart to do so ever again. (It'd be broken.)

"Forgive me," he pleads again with his eyes closed, because he's not sorry, but he's still greedy enough to want Yeosang to keep him by his side. "There's no excuse for me forcing myself on you. You seem to think I'm good, but the truth is, you _make me_ good. I'm still wild, you know. I simply hold it in." San swallows thickly, struggling to keep going. "I love you, Yeosang."

Yeosang listens intently, hands moving up to cradle San's jawline, fingers combing into the hair behind his ears.

"I know that's — that's awfully loaded. I know we're still young. We have a long, long life ahead of us and there's so much to learn and explore… but I want to do all of it with you." San inhales shakily, well aware of the warm hands on his neck, right on his pulse. His _pulse_. "You can feel it, right? The way my heart is beating?" He pauses, because the next few words are a painful realization for him, too.

"It's all you. It can only ever be you," San whispers, and ends it there.

Yeosang spends the next moment in absolute awe. It’s hard for him to imagine San loving him so intensely like this, and this is supposedly only the beginning. Well, Yeosang supposes this is indeed very characteristic of San, to dedicate all of himself to someone, but for it to be directed at _Yeosang_? 

It’s really, _really_ hard to imagine. 

San is someone who can hold the world in his hands and crush it if he wants to, yet chooses to humble himself and be a part of it like everyone else. He’s radiant and magnanimous, he draws attention to himself if not for his handsomely appearance, then certainly for his steadfast sense of self and his ability to extend a hand to those in need. Yeosang is incomparable. He supports, but he does not lead like San. His voice is used to gently coax someone out of the dark, whereas San asks them what they want and then yanks them in that direction without a second to spare for doubt. 

Yeosang has always admired San, depended on San… and loved San very, very much. But he only dared to watch San from the back, only captured every time San looked back at him like precious candies to save in a cookie jar. Yeosang was at peace with that so early on that _this_ was never an option. And looking at him now, eyes screwed shut in trepidation, hands tight but shaking on Yeosang’s waist, Yeosang thinks he’s never seen San so afraid. He looks like a single word from Yeosang could crush him. 

His chest aches for San.

“San,” Yeosang begins gently. San stiffens instantly. “San, look at me.” He caresses San’s jaw, trying to ease the tension there from him clenching his teeth. His long, sharp fangs are poking into his bottom lip. Yeosang lets go of himself too. “Don’t be afraid. Look at me how you always do.”

San takes a chance and lifts his heavy eyelids. What he sees, seizes his pitiful foolish heart.

Yeosang is _beautiful_. 

His eyes are clear and sparkling, irises glowing the right shade of baby pink. His cheeks are dusted with a similar hue — San can only curse that they’re not in the light for him to see every detail in their right color. Yeosang’s lips are kissed red and wet, slightly parted to reveal his adorable line of white teeth and comparatively thinner, rounder fangs from nonusage. Every breath he takes draws him closer into San, their beats completely synchronized. 

"There's nothing to forgive,” Yeosang says while San is entranced. He rubs the tips of their noses together, affectionate. “You're the one I love, you idiot."

San feels his knees weaken, belly swooping. His eyes widen in shock. He looks so boyish in that moment, so silly and young in contrast to his scary red eyes and deadly fangs that Yeosang has to laugh. 

"And no one who's bad will ever admit that they're bad. You're incredible, San. I've never thought otherwise."

Yeosang smiles sweetly at him like — like he _hung the stars in the sky_. He pulls San’s face down and kisses him surely.

San makes a squeaky sound when Yeosang slips his tongue past his lips and licks along one of his upper fangs. He pulls away abruptly in disbelief.

“Y-You. You love me??” His voice raises in question. San desperately searches his eyes when he realizes something. “What about the love potion? Yeosang, is it really you?” 

Yeosang’s smile drops a little. “Yeah, about that. I’m back. I was back with the first kiss.” Or maybe even earlier, when the thought of San being hurt made him panic. “I remember everything, by the way.” He quirks his eyebrow. “And you let me fawn all over Wooyoung like that?”

San sighs with relief first, then leans his forehead against Yeosang’s. “You weren’t mine,” he says quietly. 

Yeosang loops his arms around San’s neck at the same time that San moves to completely embrace him. “And now?”

San smiles widely, happy dimples decorating his cheeks. “It depends. Do you want to be mine?” 

“Of course.” Yeosang thinks about what San might want to hear the most, and indulges him. “I love you, San.”

Their lips meet not for the last time that night, and he falls into the deepest, most peaceful sleep in his life later when they retire in San’s single bed. Yeosang is comfortably tucked into the crook of his neck, small puffs of air a constant reminder that this is all real. 

The flutter of having the whole world in his arms for the first time is something San will never forget. 

-

(San and Yeosang wake up to a lot of noise outside the door. When Yeosang lifts his head up to rise for the morning, he sees that the other side of the room has changed. Yunho’s bed is made as compared to the night before where Yeosang vaguely remembers the blankets being messily tossed towards the edge of the mattress. 

Hm. Yunho definitely knows about them then. 

He hears Wooyoung’s voice filtering through the cracks of his consciousness and inwardly sighs, wanting to plop right back down against San. 

“…What time is it?” Sans murmurs beneath him. 

Yeosang grabs his phone from the nightstand and pointedly ignores the low battery warning. “Eight.”

“Oh.” San blinks. “I missed my 8AM class.” Technically, he could just throw on a fresh set of clothes and race over there within five minutes, but he could care less. He literally has a sleepy, pouty Yeosang on top of him, what else should he be thinking about?

There’s bickering outside increasing in volume.

“We should get the door,” Yeosang says and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. 

When they finally get up and shuffle towards the door, the bickering abruptly stops. San pulls it open, and there he is. Wooyoung. Prostrating deeply on his knees, forehead touching the ground. Yunho grins sunnily at them behind Wooyoung.

“I, JUNG WOOYOUNG, FORMALLY APOLOGIZE TO KANG YEOSANG AND CHOI SAN AND HEREBY DECLARE—”

San and Yeosang wince at the noise and share a look. Yeosang throws a hand up. 

_I’ll handle it_ , he signals.

“Wooyoung,” Yeosang interrupts monotonously. 

Wooyoung lifts his head up, hopeful. “Yeah?” If he was in wolf form, his tail would definitely be wagging. 

Yeosang smiles serenely at him. “Fuck off.”

San laughs at the scandalized look on Wooyoung’s face as the door is slammed shut.)

**Author's Note:**

> bruh I started this all excited like HELL YE SANSANG CRUMBS LET'S GOOOO and at around 7k it went stock market emoji downhill where I was Begging n Crying for this fic to finish itself HFHTHFHHTHTHF anyway I hope you liked it! I've only been an atiny for a little over 2 months so I wasn't super confident about their characterization. all I know is I wrote this fic just to talk about how pretty yeosang is LMAO


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